Invisible Red Thread
by Ina-chan
Summary: A collection of SueReed stories
1. Taboo

**DISCLAIMER:** F4 and all its characters belong to Marvel. This story is just for shits and giggles and all that jazz.

October 8, 2007

_Invisible Red Thread: Taboo_  
By Ina-chan

_"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break." _-Chinese Legend

When I was ten, I already came to the conclusion that there were only three inevitable "constants" in life.

1. Taxes.

2. Death.

3. Change.

If one was expected to become a responsible and useful member of society, taxes were a necessary good (or evil, depending on one's point of view). Many attempted to cheat Death, some managed to face Death and survive, a few even sought to challenge Death and laughed at its face, but no mortal has ever succeeded in escaping Death. And Change... well, the very word was already self-explanatory.

Of those three things, Change was probably the only thing that mere mortals could have a direct influence on. Thus, my mother used to tell me, "Reed, stand firm and don't let the river's currents sweep you away. But also know when to bend and go along the with strong winds before it breaks you." Unfortunately, she wasn't able to heed her own advice… but that's a different story altogether.

In all respects, today was just another one of those changes I had become accustomed to. After all, I had been in this academic journey for so long that my life practically revolved around it. Even if I wasn't blessed with my gifts, my father would have found a way to set me on the path to follow his footsteps, probably. Thanks to his 'nurturing', by the time I was fourteen, I was already taking courses at CIT. Shortly after, I furthered my education in Empire State, then zoomed through Colombia for my Masters, and now I'm in the midst of continuing on to Harvard for my PhDs.

It was the logical order of things. You go to school, you graduate, you move on.

Everything was arranged. All that was left was to say goodbye to the people who became my family the past two yeard... and Ben. We stayed in touch even after I left Empire State. Shortly after his graduation, Ben went on to join the Air Force. His application to the Air Force Academy was approved and he was starting in the next semester. He came to help me move to Cambridge before he embarked on his own journey to Colorado.

It was a new adventure. A step closer to achieving my dreams… so why did it feel like it was my mother's memorial all over again?

"Do you really have to go?" Johnny asked again in that whiny childish manner that only six-year-olds can get away with, yet for some strange reason, it was a skill that he managed to retain effectively at age ten.

"Afraid so," I replied, giving his hair a playful tussle. "I promise to write once in a while."

"Yeah, right, Mr. I'll-stop-working-on-negative-ironic-whachamathingies-only-because-I-need-to-pee," Johnny scoffed as he pushed my hands away in the same playful manner, his little childish demeanor quickly disappearing as his 'stop-treating-me-like-a-kid' personality surfaced. "Watch the hair! It took me almost an hour to make it do that."

"I figured," I laughed as I wiped my greasy hand on the back of his shirt.

"HEY!" He protested in mock anger. Then, without warning, he threw his arms around my waist and buried his face on my stomach, almost knocking the wind out of me. It was a bit awkward, since he never did that before… at least, not with me. There were a few times in the duration of my stay with their family, when Johnny burst through the door and latched himself to his sister in the same manner after a particularly bad day in school. In an equally ungainly approach, I reached out and patted his back the same way his sister did. When he didn't react negatively, I took that he didn't mind.

"If my rocket ship ever gets built, I promise to invite you and your sister to come and see it."

"Yeah, right." The sarcasm still evident in his voice through his muffled reply.

"I'm not kidding. I wouldn't leave my assistant behind after he helped me prove so many of my theories."

"You promise?"

I gently pulled him away so I can crouch down to his level to hold out my hand. "A gentleman's promise."

He eyed my extended hand wearily for a moment, as if deciding to believe me or not. Then, he wiped his eyes with his shirtsleeve as he reached out to shake my hand. "Does Sue really have to come?"

"I don't think she'll let you go if she doesn't come along," I replied diplomatically.

"Rats," Johnny scowled, his old demeanor returning.

"Jonathan, take these out to Mr.Grimm," Marygay Jewel Dinkins called out suddenly from behind us as she placed a thermos and a big Tupperware of sandwiches on the kitchen counter. "Then come back for the bottled water I put in the freezer."

Johnny made a face at his aunt's order, but obediently retrieved the items and made his way out the kitchen's screen door.

"Don't forget to come back," my landlady yelled over the loud bang of the door.

"You don't have to do that Mrs. Dinkins, Ben and I could have easily stopped over a convenience store on the way."

The older woman gave me a stern glare as she put her hands over her waist. "I may not be a genius, young man, but I was not born yesterday. Knowing you, your instincts relating to food choices and when you're supposed to eat are not exactly sharp without Susan or me to decide for you. And I'm not about to waste the two years of hard work I did in putting meat in that skinny body of yours. I don't care if your next discovery is going to revolutionize the world… If I get wind that you're collapsing all over the place again because you've skipped a couple of meals, you're going to hear from me! And don't think that I'm kidding. I have connections, you know."

"I promise to take care of myself, Mrs. Dinkins."

Before I could react, I found myself again in another hug, her robust arms enveloping my shoulders, to the point that I almost couldn't breathe. "How many times do I need to tell you to call me Aunt Marygay. You're practically Family. "

"Thanks, Mrs. Di--- Aunt Marygay." I mumbled gratefully as I returned her hug with an affectionate squeeze.

"Alright then!" Aunt Marygay stated as she let go and dusted the invisible dirt on my sleeves. "Your friend is waiting outside. I don't want to waste anymore of your time. But... Susan's in the back yard."

Suzie… I didn't really understand why. But I have reason to believe that she was primarily the reason why I'm feeling this way. Of course I felt sad parting with friends and such in my old schools. Then again, Suzie was the first person to really make me feel awkward in my own skin.

When I first met her two years ago, she was a precocious twelve-year-old who had the maturity of a woman three times her age. Then again, if anyone went through what she and her brother had gone through, they'd be forced to grow up faster. And... it wasn't secret. Her schoolgirl crush on me, that was. In fact, it had been thoroughly exploited by brother. I wasn't exactly the most experienced person in the world when it came to things like these. I'm not saying that there weren't any girls who tried to get my attention… it was just… none of them were as persistent. Most girls seemed to lose interest in me the moment I opened my mouth anyway.

But Suzie…

I don't think she understands half of what I say most of the time, but she was the first girl who even really tried. The last two years with her, Johnny and Aunt Marygay was definitely an experience. My childhood was, to say the least, very atypical. I experienced for the first time what it was like to live in a typical average family.

Perhaps that was the main reason why moving on this time around was a lot more difficult. I never had to let go of anything before. I would be lying if I were to say that I won't miss the random conversations and companionship during dinner, the weekend nature walks in the park, playing cat's cradle and hide-and-seek, keeping your temper in check with Johnny's pranks and hearing Suzie chastising her brother to behave, the hot cocoa she brings to my room during my late night study sessions…

If only she were a few years older…

What am I thinking? For God's sake, she was a child! Jeez. I would be a sick pervert if I even dared to continue that thought. She was a good kid. The last thing I wanted was to see her get hurt. Most especially if it was because of me. Suzie and Johnny were like family to me. The little sister and brother I always wanted but never had. Though, I don't think I was doing a good job with trying not to hurt her… She still hasn't talked to me since last week.

"It'll probably be best if I didn't…" I stammered uncomfortably.

"Reed, even though she's pretending that she doesn't care, she'll appreciate it if you went and said goodbye to her." Aunt Marygay said gently. "And I know you wouldn't want to part ways like this."

With that, she patted my shoulder and gently led me out the kitchen's screen door. As I stood outside, I could hear Ben and Johnny talking… more like arguing over something at the front of the house. I really wanted to go towards them and just leave this part of my life behind me without any more complications.

But… Aunt Marygay was right. There was no way I could leave without doing this. So I turned towards the opposite direction and made my way to the back yard.

I found her sitting on the steps of the backyard fort that the three of us built together the first summer I was here. Originally we were going to recreate an O2 Sustainability tree house, with a few modifications of course. But a preconstruction incident involving Johnny and a minor explosion convinced us that much simpler projects built closer to the ground would be much safer.

She was wearing that pink knitted hooded blouse that she always hated. She said that it was too childish. I personally thought that it was a look that suited her well. She didn't notice me approaching, or at least acknowledge my presence if she did. Her concentration was focused on the red string weaved between her fingers.

"That game doesn't work well with just one player, huh?" I called out gracelessly, as I shoved my hands in my pockets.

She didn't reply. She simply continued to tangle the strands of yarn on her hands.

"I... uh... just wanted to..." I started uncertainly. "Uhm... Ben's waiting at the front, so I guess this is..."

She removed the tangled string from her fingers and continued to say nothing.

"Bye, Suzie."

She didn't look up. She didn't move. She didn't say anything.

Somehow, saying those words aloud and her reacting like that after hearing them... it hurt. But there really wasn't anything else to do but turn around and walk away.

"It's not fair."

She spoke so softly that it was almost a miracle I even heard it. I turned around once again to face her. She had curled herself into a ball, arms wrapped around her legs, and her face buried in her knees. I was twenty-one years old, and she was only fourteen. Even if our feelings were mutual, it was never going to work between us. But there was no way I could leave things like this either. That was why I walked towards her and sat beside her.

"Suzie..."

"You'll never see me as anything but an annoying little kid, huh," She whispered.

I idly picked up the thread she had discarded and started picking on the knots she created. "I know this sounds bad coming from me... but I'm not the last living man on Earth. As you grow older, you'll meet a million other guys out there who give up kingdoms, forsake the world, and throw themselves on your feet."

"But they're not you."

"Suzie..."

"It's not fair." She repeated in a louder voice as she lifted her head to look at me. The grief on her delicate tearstreaked face was so heartbreaking. "Why wasn't I born the same age as you?"

I didn't know what to say or what to do. The only thing I could do was to reach out and brush my thumb to wipe the tears streaming down her cheek. She burst into uncontrollable sobs and launched herself into my arms as she buried her face on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, and I was surprised at how her body curved naturally fit in my embrace. As I held her, I also realized for the first time that the Suzie I held wasn't the same little Suzie I met two years ago.

The thin, bony, knobby-kneed little girl I remembered was somehow replaced by this soft and warm creature whose hair smelled remarkably like vanilla and strawberries without me noticing. I never had a penchant for vanilla and strawberries before, and never thought that the scent could be potentially intoxicating. But the feel of her and the smell of her…

I was twenty-one and she was fourteen.

I silently repeated that fact over and over again inside my head. But it didn't seem to matter now that I knew the real reason of why this time around I was finding it so difficult to let go.

It scared the bejeezus out of me.

"Suzie," I whispered hoarsely as I gently pushed her away, fighting the uncontrollable desire to keep holding her with all I had. "You know… there's this old Chinese saying." I continued as I completely unraveled the string I still held in my hand. I took her left hand and tied the end of the filament on her ring finger. "It says that, when two people are destined to meet, they are connected together by an invisible red string that transcends time, place and circumstance."

Her sobs calmed to soft hiccups as she stared at the red yarn tied onto her finger, before looking up at me with a hint of suspicion. "You're not making that up, are you?"

"Well, it's an old saying that survived all this time. So I suppose a lot of people saw some truth in it," I replied with a nervous chuckle. I didn't particularly believe in it myself. But I suppose it was better to leave her with a tiny bit of hope until she finds the right guy who will help her get over her silly little school girl crush. "He's out there, and someday, I'm sure the invisible red string that binds you will bring you together."

She sniffled and her lower lip quivered that slowly turned upwards to form a small smile. A short distance away, Ben's car let out an impatient honk. The smile instantly faded at the sound. She bowed her head to once again hide her face underneath her golden tresses.

"I have to go." I said apologetically. "I'll keep in touch. And I'm sure Johnny will hold me to that promise I made him… so if you think about it, this really isn't a goodbye. It's really a see you later."

She silently turned the knot I tied around her finger for a few moments before her voice softly let out an almost inaudible. "See you later."

I should have known better than do what I did next. I suppose it was seeing her like that, and knowing the actual likelihood of meeting again was close to nil was probably the culprit to why I did what I did. I held her shoulders and bent down to plant a brotherly peck on her forehead. But for some strange twist of fate, she decided to lift her face to look up at me at the exact moment, with my lips landing awkwardly on the side of her nose.

There was a brief note of shock…

…followed by a moment of utter horror…

…and fleeting screaming thoughts of 'stop it you pervert, she's only fourteen!'

Yet despite all those things running through my head, I closed my eyes and instinctively held her closer so I could properly claim her lips. It was soft and warm and tasted remarkably like waxy root beer as her own lips seemed to innately respond to my own.

Then as sudden as it began, it was over, in that brief shocking horrible fleeting eternity.

I opened my eyes to find her blue orbs slowly opening to gaze at me with newfound wonder. I automatically started to stammer an apology, only stop at the realization that there really wasn't anything that I wanted to apologize for. So instead, I gave her a nervous smile. She smiled back, lowering her eyes and suddenly feeling shy. I stood up and helped her on her feet as we made our way to the front of the house hand-in-hand in comfortable silence.

If anybody suspected anything, they gave no indication. Aunt Marygay bode her final instructions and best wishes. Johnny rattled on about not forgetting my promise. Ben barking orders to hurry up. Though Suzie still remained silent, that heartbreaking expression of grief was replaced by that pensive look she always puts on when she was in the middle of making an important decision.

As Ben started the car and slowly rolled off the driveway, a flash of pink caught the corner of my eye as the car started to accelerate.

"REED!"

I turned towards the voice to see Suzie running alongside the car from the sidewalk. The saw the spark of the old Suzie I knew as that familiar fire of determination burned once again in her clear blue eyes. I scanned the path in front of her in alarm before turning back to her. "Suzie! What are you doing? You could get hurt!"

"REED! GIVE ME TEN YEARS TO CATCH UP!" She yelled again, obviously ignoring my warning. The car accelerated speed beyond her ability to keep up, so I popped my head out the window to hear the rest of her words. She stopped running and cupped her hands around her mouth as she yelled in the top of her lungs.

"I'LL STAY A VIRGIN FOR YOU UNTIL THEN!"

… … … !!!

Ben drove in silence. I burrowed in my seat, quietly wishing that it would open up and swallow me whole while eyeing the pink figure reflected in Ben's side mirror until it disappeared from view. "Shut up Ben."

"I didn't say nothing," Ben replied defensively. Though the strained tone of his voice betrayed that he was barely succeeding in holding in his mirth.

"But you are thinking it," I muttered in annoyance.

With that, Ben fell into a healthy round of jovial laughter. "Who'd known that hiding in mild mannered Reed Richards, egghead extraordinaire, is a cradle-robbing wolf?"

"That's not funny, Ben." I shot back irritably, in a warning tone. "She's fourteen and headstrong, but she's a great kid. I don't want to hear jokes like even if you're making fun of me."

Ben raised his eyebrow in surprise as he met my glare with an amused sidelong glance before turning his attention back on the road with a knowing grin on his face. "I see…"

"What?" I mumbled in annoyance, not really liking that smile on his face.

"Nothin'," Ben shrugged nonchalantly. "I was just thinkin' that there ain't nobody alive who stays fourteen forever."

"Well, ancient civilizations have documented an awareness of the presence of beings who seem to possess characteristics that seem to suggest that they are not physically affected by the---"

"Reed… for someone who's supposed to be smart, you ain't very, are you?"

FIN

* * *

Author's squawk:

Hey all! I'm a newbie in this fandom so please forgive my preposterousness in writing such an ambitious fic despite my lack of knowledge of FF's long history. . I was introduced to the F4 via the movies, and was further drawn in by the recent "French Anime" TV series, which eventually led to my current F4 addiction. I love the domestic stuff that happens in this series, so that's the stuff I'll probably focus a lot more.

"Invisible Red Thread" mostly as a collection of random slice of life vignettes involving Sue and/or Reed. Since getting hooked on Diana Wynne Jones, older man/younger woman pairings had a special place in my heart. .

Speaking of which… I found a lot of time line inconsistencies in the F4 lore(which is natural after FF's lore had been handled by so many storytellers the past 40+ years). This being a fanfic, I suppose it's forgivable to ignore era references (i.e. Reed and Ben being world war 2 vets, etc.).

I'm following the essence of the Earth-616 time line in the Marvel multiverse, i.e. Reed first met Sue when he was a student renting a room at Sue's aunt's boarding house, and Sue going to California to become an actress... as opposed to the recent incarnations of the F4 lore.

One big timeline inconsitencies was Sue and Reed's age gap. I think the consensus was between 10-12 years in the fandom. But the current official Marvel compendium states that Sue was 12 when she first met Reed, and Reed got his many PhDs before he was barely out of his teens. I did find one reference stating he graduated from Harvard at 22. And it was also noted that Reed attended Columbia U before going to Harvard. Despite his genius, I'm sure he couldn't have stayed 22 while the rest of the world around him aged. So I'm putting a respectable 6-year age difference between Sue and Reed in this fic. Thereby making Reed around 18 years old when they first met. Give him two years in an accelerated program to earn a degree or two in Columbia before heading off to Harvard to spend another two years to earn his double PhDs in Harvard.

I also took poetic license re: Ben briefly meeting Sue and Johnny when they were children for story purposes. There is not record of this in the comic book. According to F4 canon, their first meeting was during the Pocket Rocket storyline. Ben was even reluctant to pilot the starship at first because of the shielding issues. It was because of his infatuation with Suzie that made him change his mind.

Ah! Better stop before the note turns out as long as the fic. Please leave comments and criticisms. I have no beta reader for this series, so please feel free to let me know if you stumble upon any errors. So any wonderful, kind-hearted betas out there willing to look through this, please contact me! .

Note Update (Oct. 16, 2007):

I finally got a hold of the Civil War epilogue and discovered another F4 inconsistency thanks to yet another writer change. Now, it established that Reed and Sue are actually 7 years apart in age. Not too bad for my part, missed it by one year, eh? . And that they actually first met when Sue was 13 and Reed was 20 (and Aunt Marygay is actually Aunt Jewel) when Sue stayed over at her Aunt Jewel's home for the summer.

Anywayz, I'm going with the official Marvel compendium with Sue only being 12 when she first met Reed. So at least in this fic series, Reed and Sue first met when she was 12 and he was 19. Also, until the Marvel compendium changes it, Aunt Marygay Dinkins keeps her name in the fic as is. But I have adjusted the age difference. The book did say that Reed was in an accelerated graduate program when he was attending Columbia… so why can't he be in the same boat in Harvard? . Ah, well… I'll just take the cowards' way out and leave his age for his Harvard graduation vague…

Oct. 18, 2007 update:

The official Marvel compendium actually modified Sue's aunt's name to "Marygay Jewel". Funny how Uncle Ted still hasn't made it to Reed's list of relations in the compendium... when poor Uncle Ted played such a big (scapegoat) role with Reed's motivations re: his participation in Civil War...

Ja!  
Ina-chan


	2. Nativity

**DISCLAIMER:** F4 and all its characters belong to Marvel. This story is just for shits and giggles and all that jazz.

Oct. 22, 2007

**Invisible Red Thread: Nativity  
By Ina-chan**

_"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.""_

**-Chinese Legend**

"So, Doctor… you find anything interesting down there?" The young woman commented flatly she looked over her limited field of vision towards the young resident.

"NO! I mean YES! UH…." The young doctor instantly straightened up, red-faced with mortification.

"MARY! Really!" Mary's companion glared at her before turning to the resident apologetically. "I'm really sorry, Dr. Straw…"

"Stern."

"Dr. Stern," The second woman repeated apologetically. "As you can tell, my sister-in-law has not had a good day..."

"Ha-ha… funny, Jules," Mary quipped sarcastically as she rubbed her swollen belly.

"…for the past nine months." Jules muttered as she gave the other woman an annoyed glare.

"It's quite all right. This is a very trying moment, for anyone… in your position…" The young doctor mumbled nervously as he pulled off his gloves. When the two women simply continued to look at him expectantly, he clumsily tossed his gloves to the nearby trash bin, and grabbed the flip chart clipped on the foot of her bed and starting flipping through the documents anxiously. "Well…Everything looks good. Your vitals are steady… baby's vital's are steady. That's good. Everything is going as scheduled. You're at three centimeters now…"

"WHAT? Only three? It's already been eight ho---ARGH GODDAMMIT!!!" Mary cried out as she collapsed back in bed in pain.

"Well on average, the first stage of labor takes between thirteen to fourteen hours for first pregnancies…" The young resident's voice trails as he sensed the twinge of impending violence behind that his patient's stoic glare. "I---uh… I'll come back to check on you later…"

"Really Mary," Jules sighed in exasperation as she turned her attention back to the knitting on her lap. "He was just doing his job."

"Is it just me or are the residents getting younger and younger?"

"It's just you…" Jules remarked in a stoic monotone. "…getting old."

"Seriously, Jules," Mary gave her companion an annoyed look as she struggled to sit up. "This kid looked as if his balls haven't even dropped yet!"

"Mary…" The other woman sighed again.

"Well, Dr. Vern…"

"Stern."

"Whatever! He is not touching me again. When Jim comes in, I'll definitely demand for a more experienced resident to assist him." Mary replied huffily. "And what is that? Don't tell me you're making another scarf for Dinkie-Dinkins."

"It's either this or go crazy listening to your erratic behaviour," Jules answered in annoyance. "And you really should stop calling him that. You're no longer in high school…"

"I'm pregnant and I'm in labor… I'm entitled!" Mary cried out dramatically.

Jules looked up at the heavens as if seeking heavenly guidance, before turning back to her work. "You know, I told you we're too early. We should have just waited for Frank to arrive from the airport…"

"Jules, you know how unreliable airlines schedules can be at this time of year and I will not have my first born child enter this world on the back seat of a New York taxi cab," Mary stated sternly.

"You didn't have qualms about conceiving on the back seat of Frank's…"

"MARYGAY JEWEL STORM! How could you?"

"Then stop calling Eddie, 'Dinkie-Dinkins'," Jules shot back.

"You're horrible," Mary sulked tearfully as she tussled with her blankets and struggled out of her bed.

"What are you doing now?"

"Toilet!" Mary shot back, dramatically wrapping the edges of her blanket over her blonde locks like a scarf, before waddling across the room.

"That's not the right way. You're going out to the hallway…"

"I don't care!"

"God!" Jules sighed again as she motioned to the heavens to add a big helping of patience along with her earlier request for heavenly guidance, before setting her knit work on her chair and trudging after her temperamental sister-in-law. "I just hope that your kid isn't anything like you, because God forbid, I don't think the world can handle two hot-headed, immature, hurricane Storms at the same time."

"Go to hell!"

/Attention all staff: code yellow…/ The hospital's PA system blared throughout the hallways.

"Mary, there's a code yellow. Come back inside," Jules called out urgently.

"A code yellow is a missing patient. It's probably some schmuck who wandered downstairs to get coffee without telling the staff." Mary shot back as she continued along the semi-busy hallway. "I'm going to sit near the elevators to wait for Frankie."

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Jules groaned as she looked at her watch. "Frank's plane isn't due for at least another half hour. It'll take him another forty-five minutes to get here."

"Jules, you can either walk with me or go back to the room," Mary stated flatly.

"I don't know why I put up with you," Jules growled irritably as she hurried over to her friend's side.

"Because you love me and I'm so miserable right now," Mary sobbed childishly, instantly changing her demeanor as she suddenly clung on to the other woman's arm.

"Can you please stop doing that?" Jules hissed in embarrassment. Her best friend's erratic behaviour always unnerved Jules. And Jules knew that Mary only did it to get under her skin on purpose. "You do know that you're not supposed to get these wild mood swings until the transition phase, right?"

"I'm special."

"God help us…"

Jules helped the other woman settle on one of the couches in the waiting area, which had a clear view of the elevators. "Are you sure you want to wait here. These seats don't look very comfortable."

"Mmmm…" Mary replied noncommittally as her attention was drawn to a nearby television screen airing the day's headline in the all-news channel.

/ "---nagural ceremony, where Richards Technologies announced its new scholarship and apprenticeship programs open to underprivileged but brilliant youths all across the country. Present was co-founder of Richards Technologies, Dr. Nathaniel Richards. Dr. Richards has been fending off criticisms recently, who in light of a personal tragedy earlier this week, continued with business as usual. The announcement of Richards Technologies acquiring a substantial contract with---/

"What do you think about the cover-up?" Mary murmured as the television flashed a portrait of a handsome, solemn-looking man.

"What cover-up?"

"People say that his wife's death wasn't an accident."

"What?" Jules stared at her sister in law incredulously. "I can't believe you're spouting that tabloid nonsense. You of all peo… wait let me take that back."

Mary shrugged. "Come on. A man like Nathaniel Richards with a history of sowing his oats on other men's fields… rich, powerful, brilliant… rumors of marital woes, then his beautiful wife conveniently runs off with their kid and disappears from the face of the planet. Then found OD'd on happy pills in the Four Seasons here in New York, of all places."

"Mary that's the crassest comment I've heard and I certainly hope none of Frank's associates get wind of this," Jules stared at the other woman in horror.

"Why do you have to be such a stick in the mud?"

"You can't spout baseless rumours like that in public. It's bad enough that this family have to grieve through losing a wife and mother without conspiracy theory lunatics like you adding fuel to the fire."

"But Jules, think about it. There's not even a mention of what happened to their little boy. Come to think of it, do they even have a little boy in the first place? No public pictures, no school records… the only public document 'proving' his existence is a birth announcement that may or may not be real. Why would anyone make such a great effort hide their little boy from the public eye like that?"

"Oh I don't know… Health reasons, give him a semblance of normality, protect him from kidnappers… and weirdoes like you?" Jules retorted as she stared at the video images on the television. "Dr. Richards is a good man. His inventions have done a great deal of good to the world. The least thing we could do in return is to give them a little privacy."

"Careful Jules. The way you're talking makes it sound like you're in love with him or something," Mary eyed her sister-in-law mischievously. "Though he does look pretty hot… for a geek squad member. Waaaaaay beyond Dinkie Dinkins' range."

Jules let out another annoyed sigh for the nth time, but continue to eye the television screen. "As much as I hate to admit it…"

"Well… Not too late to dump Dinkie-boy," Mary grinned. "After all, the good doctor's available again."

"MARY!" Jules stared at the other woman in complete mortification.

Mary started giggling before freezing to clutch her sides and let out a pained gasp. She stared at her sister-in-law anxiously, all traces of her earlier mischief disappearing. "That felt much closer than the last time."

Jules checked at her watch once again, her own face paling. "Thirty minutes."

"Frankie's not going to make it, is he?" Genuine tears started to pool at the corners of her eyes.

"Well… it's only been around eight and half… no... nine hours. And you're only three centimeters so…"

"Jules."

"I'll run over to his office and get his secretary to call the airport again. Let's go back---"

"NO!" Mary shook her head vehemently. "I want to wait here for Frankie."

"Mary, I'm not going to leave you…"

"Go get Margaret to call the airport again. It'll really make me feel better knowing that Frankie's plane isn't getting delayed."

"Fine," Jules replied reluctantly. "But first, promise that you will stay here and not to run off somewhere while I'm gone."

"While you're at it, can you also check in on Mom and Dad as well?"

"I will… but first, you have to promise."

"I promise," Mary replied as she held out her hands.

Jules let out yet another defeated sigh as she stood up muttering angrily under her breath as she stood up and made her way across the hall towards the elevator.

"Thanks Jules. I love you, sis."

Jules simply continued walking. The elevator door slid open as she reached it.

"JULES!" Mary cried out just as the elevator doors started to close.

The other young woman instantly stuck out her hand to keep the door from closing and literally attempted to pry it open, ready to bolt out to run to her friend's side.

"Apple juice please." Mary called out sweetly.

Jules stared at her friend speechless and incredulously as the elevator door slid closed before her.

With her sister-in-law gone, Mary fidgeted on her seat, trying to get into a more comfortable position. That was when she noticed something beside her. A small figure cowering in the small space between the couch and the corner that housed an artificial plant… that's supposed to be some kind of potted imitation shrubbery. The little boy froze as he met her eyes and stared at her in complete horror. In another second, he looked ready to run.

"Mrs. Storm!"

Mary looked up and instinctively threw the end of her blanket over the boy's head and turned towards the voice. Her face instantly broke into a warm smile as she recognized the young nurse she befriended from the pediatric floor. "Cathy! How nice to see you."

"Oh my God! Is today the day? This is so exciting!" Cathy cheered excitedly before lines of worry etched her doll like features. "But isn't Dr. Storm away in that conference in San Diego?"

"He's actually on his way back. I'm just waiting for him to arrive," Mary replied gracefully. "What brings you out of the pediatric unit?"

An anxious line instantly etched on the young nurses' forehead. "A little runaway, 7-years-old, around yay high, skinny, brown hair."

"The code yellow is a child?" Mary raised an eyebrow. "Isn't this a bigger issue than…"

"Oh, of course!" Cathy exclaimed, flushing a little, before a twinge of annoyance seemed to lace her features. "But this case is… well… special. It's doubtful that he's run away from the hospital. But still, security's been alerted in all the exits. Actually, he's supposed to be discharged today. But he's gone hiding again just when his legal guardian is due to arrive."

"Again?" Mary mumbled as she eyed the inconspicuous lump hidden by the edge of her blanket.

"Yes. Things would have been much simpler if his father would just…" Cathy started to remark soberly before catching herself. "Did you happen to notice anyone by chance."

"No… but I wouldn't mind you coming back to check on me after a few minutes," Mary stated carefully as she made a silent significant nod towards the corner on her right.

Cathy gave her a puzzled look as she eyed the direction where the other woman was referring. The young nurse's eyes widened in comprehension as she spoke in a highly exaggerated voice. "OH! I see that he isn't here. I'm going to leave now and look somewhere else."

Mary couldn't help flinching and giving the younger woman a reprimanding look for her bad acting. Cathy raised both hands apologetically before giving the older woman a grateful smile before motioning towards the corridor and miming a telephone conversation while pointing to the ceiling.

"The coast is clear. You can come out now," Mary stated as soon as Cathy disappeared in the corner. "But don't think about bolting, because the minute you do, all I have to do is yell and the staff will be here to get you faster than a pregnant woman pouncing on a pint of chocolate mint ice cream."

The lump under the blanket didn't move.

"You do know that you are just prolonging the inevitable. You might as well get up and sit beside me and keep me company," Mary continued on. But the boy still refused to budge from where he was. "Or you can stay sitting there on the uncomfortable carpet all day instead of this not-so-uncomfortable seat."

After a few more moments, the boy stirred, slowly emerged and obediently sat beside her, hugging his legs up his chest and burying his face miserably on his knees.

"So kid… what's your name?"

The boy didn't reply. Instead, he made a conscious effort to cover the plastic patient ID band on his wrist. The action caused a suspicious discoloration on his right arm to peek out from beneath the sleeve of his hospital pajamas. Mary frowned and fought the urge to reach out and investigate the injury. She chewed her lip and decided on a different approach instead. "You know… people normally run away from the hospital to get out of here. Not the other way around. Is there a reason why you don't want to go home?"

The boy simply replied with complete silence.

"Is something bad happening at home? Is that why you don't want to go?"

"...won't find me..." Came an almost inaudible reply.

Mary inched closer to the boy. "Pardon? Who won't find you?"

The little boy let out an adult-like sigh, not that different from how Jules expresses her lack of patience, as he looked up to face her as if explaining something very obvious to a five-year-old. "I can't go or Daddy won't find me."

The woman stared at the child with a start. It was only then that she noticed the butterfly strip that held together a small gash just above right eyebrow and the accompanying bruise that pretty much ran down the right side of his face. Her dormant maternal instincts flared indignantly. Mary fought twice as hard to not reach out and envelop the little boy into a hug. "So you're waiting for your Daddy to pick you up?"

"He'll come. Mommy said he'll never come. But I know he'll come this time," The little boy mumbled, almost defensively, as he rested his chin on his knees and stared at no particular spot in front of him. "He has to."

Mary folded her hands and rested them on her swollen belly. It sounded like an all too familiar case from her past volunteer work. Couple in a domestic dispute, mother running away from abusive husband, children caught in the middle. "It sounds like your Mom has reasons to think that way."

"She didn't say, but I knew it was a test. Daddy was supposed to come... but he didn't. Mommy said that Daddy doesn't love us anymore. But Mommy didn't want to leave Daddy because of me," The little boy stated in that soft-spoken adultlike manner of his. "Now, Mommy's gone... and it's my fault, isn't it? If it weren't for me, Mommy wouldn't have been so unhappy."

Mary didn't stop the urge to take the little boy in her arms and hold him close this time. The boy instinctively froze in her touch, but he didn't make any attempt to pull away. "You're too young to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, kid. I'm not the smartest person in the world and I don't know what happened with your Mommy and Daddy. But, this much I know. Sometimes Mommies and Daddies can do a lot of stupid things to each other that make them unhappy. But it's always because of something that they do to themselves... it's never their kids' fault. Whatever it is, it's not your fault."

She wasn't sure if the little boy believed her... or even understood what she said. But she felt the child slowly relax. Just then, she made another gasp as a powerful contraction hit her like a punch in the gut, the pain radiating even stronger from her lower back running right up to her shoulders and arms and numbing her legs. She closed her eyes, panting to slow down the sudden surge of her heart as her body recovered from the sudden shot of pain, as well as to hold back the tears of helplessness... and her growing frustration at her own husband's absence.

When she opened her eyes, the little boy was sitting upright, watching her with a wide-eyed expression that bordered somewhere between abject fascination and complete horror. Mary patted the little boy's head reassuringly. "S'okay. Baby's just getting impatient waiting for his daddy too."

Something that looked like a twinge of sympathy crossed the little boy's features as his gaze turned towards her swollen belly. Sensing the thoughts running in the child's mind, Mary took the boy's hand and placed it on top of her abdomen. "He's a lot quieter now, because he's getting ready to be born. But I know he can still hear. He likes it a lot when his Daddy talks or sings to him."

Without missing a beat, the little boy edged closer until his head was resting gently on top of her stomach. The warmth from his tiny body seemed to have a calming effect on her tense muscles. She watched him for a few moments, as he closed his eyes, listened and whispered an inaudible secret to her unborn child. Up close, despite the injuries marring his face, Mary could see that he was a beautiful child…rich chocolate hair that curled a little on the ends, rosy apple cheeks, and a hint of a strong aquiline nose. There was no doubt that the little boy would grow up into a handsome young man someday. She felt pain of a different kind, ache in her heart. She couldn't understand what kind of parents wouldn't want him... or hurt him for that matter.

"I can hear her heart," The little boy's soft voice rang clearly, breaking her thoughts. The boy still had his comforting touch over her belly as he looked up at her curiously. "What's her name?"

"Her?" Mary echoed in surprise before her lips curved into a smile. "Everyone is so convinced that he's a boy that I didn't even think about girls' names. I even have two grandfathers and one uncle fighting over naming rights."

"So let all three of them give names," The boy replied as if it's the most logical thing in the world.

"Spencer Lowell Jonathan Storm," The woman stated out loud. "What do you know… it does sound pretty good together. That's a really good idea. I'll just leave it to them to fight over first billing."

"Either way, that name won't do. You'll have to think of a proper girl's name," The little boy stated insistently.

"Why are you so sure that Baby's a girl?"

The boy frowned uncertainly at the question. "I... don't know. I just do."

"Are you psychic or something?"

The little boy shook his head.

"Well then," Mary began enthusiastically. "Since you're the only one who's so sure that Baby is going to be a girl, why don't you help me think of a list of good names."

"Me? I don't think that's a good idea..." The little boy stared at her in surprise. "I've never named a person before... I used to fishies but that's not the same as a person."

"What did you name your fish?"

"Meson, Baryon and Higgs. But Higgs ended up growing bigger than the others and ate Meson and Baryon so I renamed him Hadron," The little boy replied with a small laugh, looking at her expectantly to laugh with him.

Mary blinked, unsure with how to react.

"A hadron is a subatomic particle composed of quarks and they're usually found in groups of two, called mesons, or threes, baryons. So when Higgs ate Meson and Baryon he became Hadron... get it?"

Mary blinked again. This time, she couldn't help feeling pity as the dawning realization that despite her little friend's natural good looks, the child's road to adulthood was not going to be an easy one.

She forced a smile and patted the little boy's head. "Why don't we start thinking about the names of girls you know? What about your Mommy? I'm sure your Mommy has a beautiful name."

The little boy's expression fell as he bowed his head and turned away.

Mary mentally kicked herself at the thoughtless suggestion. "Well... what about sisters or aunts?"

"I don't have any..."

Mary pulled the little boy into another hug. This time he didn't offer any resistance as he curled up by her side. "Things must have been really rough on you, huh kiddo? You're too young to understand this now, but life always has ups and downs. Things will get better as long as you don't let this pull you down. I hope your Daddy comes. 'Cause he sure is going to regret missing out on watching you grow up."

To her surprise, the child clung to her as if in response to her embrace. They sat together in comfortable silence as Mary watched the news station's headline clips loop back to the Richards Technologies story that she and her sister-in-law were watching earlier. She started feeling unsettled again as she was reminded that at least another approximate thirty minutes had passed. She was so focused on the child beside her that she forgot to keep track of the time in between her last contractions. And to make things worse, neither her husband nor her sister in law was on sight.

"Susan."

Mary's thoughts were pulled back to reality once again at the boy's sudden comment. "Pardon?"

"Mommy told me once that if I ever had a sister, she would name her Susan. After Susan B. Anthony," The little boy explained. "She was Mommy's hero. Mommy thought that if my sister was named after someone great, she'll be inspired to do great things as well."

"Failure is impossible," Mary stated the infamous quote idly, looking at the little boy with newfound affection as any New Yorker of her generation who had any sympathy for the historical feminist would. "Your Mommy sounds like a great lady."

The little boy put his hand over the woman's stomach once again. "I think... I think it doesn't matter what name you chose for her. She'll grow up to do great things."

"Is that another one of your psychic predictions?"

"No," The little boy shook his head. "It's because you're her Mommy."

A painful lump in her throat accompanied by a flood of tears threatened to overwhelm her once again. Unable to speak, Mary simply held the little boy tighter in her arms and gave him an affectionate peck on his forehead.

"Reed?"

The little boy froze at the sound of the voice. Mary looked up to see a tall, handsome man with similar features to the little boy beside her. Cathy stood behind him, they both watched from a short distance away. Mary glanced back to her young friend, who at the moment was nervously looking towards the new comer. Her heart beat in sympathetic anticipation as she saw the hopeful expression on the child's face, her own face fell as she saw the flash of disappointment silently run across the child's eyes, and once again felt her heart ache while she watched the boy's face lost his adult-like composure as it wrinkled into an ordinary crying seven-year-old as he instantly got on his feet and rushed towards the man's waiting arms.

"Shhh... Its okay, Champ," The man hushed soothingly over the little boy's uncontrollable sobs. "Uncle Ted's here. I'm sorry it took me so long to get here. But you're safe and I'm taking you home." His eyes wandered towards Mary's direction and gave the woman a grateful nod, obviously hearing the story of their earlier ordeal from the young nurse behind him. As his eyes wandered on the exposed angry fingers-shaped bruise on he child's arm, and the obvious injuries on his nephew's face, he instantly frowned and turned to Cathy and gave her a cold glare. "What happened?"

"Ah! Yesterday!" Cathy literally jumped in surprise, unprepared from the man's accusing look. "Ms. Kuklash... I think that's her name. She was rather forceful in trying to get him home. Reed made such a fuss that he ended up running straight to a door. When we heard that you were on your way and seeing how distraught he was when Ms. Kuklash tried to... well, Dr. Evans felt that it was best to keep him here overnight for observation until you arrived. Needless to say, Ms. Kuklash wasn't very happy."

"That woman... the corpse isn't even cold yet..." Uncle Ted muttered angrily, but his voice trailed as a video clip from an earlier press conference flashed across the television screen. His eyes narrowed as the familiar features of Dr. Nathaniel Richards spoke somberly to the press, oblivious to the drama unfolding in a New York hospital more than two thousand miles away.

/ "---mmunity has given us a lot of support throughout these years and especially now during our time of need. This is our way of giving back in light of our family's recent... personal tragedy... this is what Evelyn would have wanted."/

"Nate... you foolish idiot," Uncle Ted murmured emotionally as he held the little boy even tighter in his arms. He turned to the nurse abruptly. "My assistant will take care of the paperwork and my nephew's belongings." He looked back to Mary, who was watching the whole scene in complete bewilderment, and bowed his head once again. "Thank you for all you've done Mrs..."

"Mary. Mary Storm," Mary replied politely.

"Best of luck to you," Uncle Ted replied, eyeing her abdomen with a warm lopsided grin, before making his way towards the elevators.

The little boy peeked from his uncle's shoulder. Mary gave him a reassuring smile and waved goodbye as she met his eyes. In turn, he gave Mary a small wave as his uncle carried him away and out of sight.

"What just happened?" Mary whispered in complete confusion as Cathy walked over to her, not really understanding the series of events that quickly transpired before her.

"It's rather complicated... I'm sorry that you got involved in this. But I'm really grateful that you were able to help out eventhough... you know..." Cathy rambled as she nodded towards the obvious.

"No, that's no problem at all… But that man… Was that...?" Mary started as she pointed blankly towards the elevators.

"Theodore Richards." Cathy finished for her.

"The WRITER Theodore Richards?"

Cathy nodded. "And the infamous black sheep of the Richards family."

"So that kid was..."

"Yeah."

"I think I need a stiff drink," Mary sighed as she rubbed her stomach wearily.

"Not until after our son is born!" A new voice called out sternly.

Mary looked up in surprise and the unshed tears she held back all day instantly flooded out of her eyes as she saw her husband, with luggage still at tow, walking towards her. She held out her arms towards him childishly, struggling to get out of her seat. "FRANKIE!"

"Jesus Christ Mary! Be careful!" Frank blurted out in alarm as he dropped everything he was holding to help his wife get on her feet before she toppled over from excitement. He kissed the tears streaming down his wife's face apologetically as he held her in his arms. "I'm so sorry Sweetheart. I told you I should have cancelled my trip to that conference..."

"It doesn't matter... you're home now. But did you get in trouble? Isn't your presentation supposed to be tomorrow?"

"Guh... I think I'm going to be sick..." Jules gurgled in disgust as she picked up the travel suit protector and luggage that her brother discarded in the middle of the hospital hallway.

"But I think Dr. and Mrs. Storm are so cute when they're together," Cathy remarked as she clasped her hands together dreamily.

"Easy for you to say... you haven't seen them show their true colors," Jules muttered under her breath before letting out a small shudder as if remembering a rather traumatic memory.

The couple however, seemed too preoccupied with each other to notice anything else around them. "Darling, you know I wouldn't miss our baby's birthday for the world! But we somehow managed to fiddle around with the schedule. You have no idea what the committee went through, but in the end it all worked out. Marygay told me that you were already thirty minutes apart."

"It's a bit shorter now after the last time... but I lost track of time."

"It must have been an exciting wait."

"You have no idea."

FIN

* * *

Author's squawk:

This chapter went through many many many MANY changes! Again, I have no beta. If you happen to catch any errors, please let me know.

This scenario is highly improbable, but I've always wanted to do something with Sue and Reed's parents… Especially Reed's mother, who until now has yet to have an in-depth storyline in canon. In the F4 issues contributing to Civil War had Reed saying that it wasn't just his Dad who was a scientist… but he came from a clan of scientists and his Uncle Ted was the odd man out (choosing to be a writer instead). Since his grandfather was a military general, I'm assuming that he was referring to his parents. Marvel Knights 4 seemed to hint that his mother was also a scientist (if not his father's assistant, or something in the like).

Reed and Nathaniel also has rather interesting dynamic. Mind you, I haven't picked up all the F4 stories yet. But according to what I've read in John Byrne's contribution, Reed seemed to have adored his father, based on that really feel-good type of speech when he was seeking the Warlord.

Ironically, in the later issues, Reed starts to admit that his relationship with his father isn't that honky-dory as was claimed in Byrne's run. You get the impression that while Old Nate fawned over Reed's academic brilliance, he neglected doing simple father-son bonding activities. Most likely, the only way Reed could get his Dad's attention was through his nerdy accomplishments.

In Marvel Knights, Ben confessed that throughout the years that Reed bunked with him in Empire State U, Nate never visited Reed, wrote or anything. Of which, Sue starts getting all bitchy, stating that it was because Nate was busy time traveling and fathering lots of illegitimate children through out the different parallel universes. Not that we could blame her after all the crap Nate put Reed and Sue's family all in the name of protecting the timelines (sounds familiar). Think Reed is a douche? Well, he's gotta learn his dickery from someone, right?

It was really sad to see Reed interact with his Dad. All the arrogance, brilliance, whatever, just evaporates because after all the things that make Reed Richards great… next to his father, he's really still a little boy hungering for Daddy's affection.

Ja!  
Ina-chan


	3. Transfiguration

DISCLAIMER: F4 and all its characters belong to Marvel. This story is just for shits and giggles and all that jazz.

November 2, 2007

Invisible Red Thread: Transfiguration  
By Ina-chan

_"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.""_

-Chinese Legend

When did it all change?

I remember the first time I saw you. I was twelve, still a few months shy from becoming an official teen-ager. I was a little upset at my parents for sending Johnny and me away to spend the summer with Aunt Jewel so they can gallivant around the world without our childish interruptions. I didn't have any idea at all that particular summer of my ill spent youth would contain the day that would change my life forever.

_"Reed, this is my niece, Susan. Jonathan is… where is that boy? **JONATHAN SPENCER STORM ! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!** That boy has the attention span of… anyway, Reed, like I mentioned last week, they'll be staying here for the summer. Susan, this is Mr. Reed Richards…"_

You were barely twenty, but you already had accomplishments under your belt that were normally achieved by adults twice your age. You were so handsome, tall though a tad bit lanky, with your warm whiskey eyes, your bashful smile, and that dignified adult-like air around you that none of the boys my age can ever compare to. Then again, it was love at first sight in the eyes of a young naïve schoolgirl. You couldn't have done anything wrong.

_"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Richards."_

_"Hi."_

You were so shy that you couldn't even meet my eyes. You mumbled an inaudible hello before excusing yourself and retreating to your room. It took a few days before you managed to speak to me in more than just monosyllabic answers, a week or two before I saw your real smile, and almost a month before I heard you laugh.

Of course, it probably didn't help ease matters between us when I abruptly announced shortly after I met you that I've decided that I was going to be your wife.

_"… … …"_

_"Reed and Suzie, sitting on a tree… K-I-S-S-I-N---"_

_"SHUT UP JOHNNY!"_

_"SUSAN! Watch your language… I'm so sorry, Reed. Children these days…"_

_"… … …"_

Johnny's relentless teasing probably made things worse. Nonetheless, no matter how embarrassing it must have been for you to have a persistent underage stalker, you took everything in stride… in that patient, polite and dignified manner that I've always known you for.

When did it all change?

When did you cross the invisible boundary between polite stranger and friend?

Was it the time when Emily Jones (who I swore also had a huge crush on you) broke her ankle that one Friday evening when Aunt Jewel had to attend her Women's Church Auxiliary meeting with no last minute replacement babysitter in sight?

I remember it clearly. I was upset that Aunt Jewel still didn't feel that I was responsible enough to look after Johnny. But you came to the rescue and offered to watch us (since you were staying home to watch the meteor shower anyway).

It was that evening when it became clear that despite your adult-like demeanour, you had no idea how to deal with children. You were, more or less, still a child yourself. I remember your fascinated expression as you watched Johnny and me playing Cat's Cradle. I remember the exciting tingle I felt whenever my fingers brushed against your hands when the cradle passed between us as we taught you how to play. I remember the exasperated look on Johnny's face when we realized you didn't know how to play a lot of our childhood games.

_"Hello Mr. President?"_

_"No."_

_"Forty-forty?"_

_"What?"_

_"Kill the Carrier."_

_"I'm not even going to ask what that is…"_

_"So what exactly did you do for fun when you were a kid?"_

_"Well… once in a while I'll pick up a science fiction book and try to see if I can recreate or prove the theories the writers made up in it. When I was twelve I tried to see if Isaac Asminov's ideas about…"_

_"Boring! Reed, you're really weird."_

_"JOHNNY!"_

_"Sue, reading a book is like doing homework. Homework isn't fun!"_

As much as I hated to admit it, Johnny made a point. I remember feeling completely astonished, when you admitted that you never played games with other kids when you were my age, or even Johnny's age. Or maybe it was the revelation that you didn't have any childhood friends at all. There was also the twinge of envious admiration when you said didn't have to go to school until you were fourteen.

I remember the dinner you made after we all voted that Shadow, the neighborhood stray cat, was more likely to appreciate the dinner Aunt Jewel left us.

_"What is that supposed to be?"_

_"Tuna Casserole Surprise… I think."_

_"Yuck! It definitely smells like tuna… but what are those weird looking bits?"_

_"I think it's supposed to be broccoli."_

_"Surprise."_

You made something that was supposed to be macaroni and cheese, the instant Kraft Dinner kind. The only thing you admitted knowing how to cook (aside from boiling eggs and making toast). There were no charm points for presentation. They were glops of golden overcooked pasta underneath a dry slightly burnt crust. Not that different from the unidentifiable substance that my Dad tried to feed us when Mom caught the flu once. (Then again, Storms were not well known for their culinary expertise. Fortunately, Johnny and I got our skills from Mom). Yet for some reason, it was still the best-tasting macaroni and cheese I've ever had.

I remember how Johnny tried to take advantage of your lack of babysitting skills to stay up later than his usual bedtime. He insisted on wanting to stay up to watch the meteor shower too. Though in the end, he curled beside you, fast as asleep on his bedtime before the shower even started I remember how the three of us lay quietly together on the lawn, waiting for the stars to fall from the warm summer night skies.

The skies were beautifully clear that night. It was the perfect night to go stargazing. It was the first time we had a real conversation. You talked about the stars and the constellations. I didn't understand half of the things you said. But it didn't really matter since at that time, I was content to simply listen to the sound of your warm baritone.

_"Reed?"_

_"Hmm…"_

_"You really like the stars, huh?"_

_"I've been dreaming of going out to space since I was five."_

_"Like an astronaut?"_

_"Something like that."_

_"… … …"_

_"… … …"_

_"You will."_

_"Hmmm?"_

_"Go to space. You're the smartest person in the world. Maybe even the entire universe!"_

_"… … … uh… thanks."_

To be quite honest I don't remember much about the meteor shower. I remember seeing the streaks of light across the sky from the corner of my eye. I suppose I was too busy watching you. I remember the expression on your face. How your warm whiskey eyes lit up and widened with silent awe as if you were witnessing the most miraculous event in the universe.

When did it all change?

When did you discard the role of friend in exchange of big brother and protector?

Was it when my mother died? It wasn't long after that magical summer we first met. I remember that it was that winter. We were staying over at Aunt Jewel's for the weekend while Mom and Dad went to one of Dad's functions. You weren't there when we arrived. Aunt Jewel said that you flew home to California to visit your family or something like that. I remember the feeling of disappointment when I found out that you weren't returning anytime soon.

But as you already know, there was a change of plans. The police officers that knocked at Aunt Jewel's door at 2 AM of that tragic day told us the news of how my father's car crashed. Dad was alive and unhurt, but Mom… We received a call later on that Mom didn't make it though surgery.

I remember not crying when they told us the news. I didn't cry when Aunt Jewel held me in her arms. I didn't cry during the service or when I watched them lower Mom six feet under the ground. I wanted to, but I didn't. I realized that I had to be strong for Dad and for Johnny.

Especially for Johnny. Johnny likes to act tough, but he was really a big crybaby who gets scared of things easily. He needed his big sister for comfort especially now that Mom was no longer going to be around to give it to him. He was going to be okay as long as he didn't see me cry.

That's why I couldn't cry, even though I desperately wanted to.

So didn't.

The events that followed happened so fast. Dad fell apart after Mom died. It didn't take long for him to fall apart and get himself into a lot of trouble. So it was decided that Johnny and I were to stay with Aunt Jewel for an indefinite period of time.

That was when you came home.

I remember that it was in the middle of the night because your flight was delayed. Your friend, Ben, dropped you off the front of the house. You were moving quietly, as to not wake up the house. You were travel-weary tired, disheveled, and in need of a shave. You looked at me in surprise when you saw me coming down the stairs. And then…

_"Hi."_

One simple word, the sight of you looking at me with those warm whiskey eyes, and smiling at me with such fond affection... that was all it took. Before I knew it, you were cradling me in your arms, trying to comfort me, not minding a single bit that instead of an early morning hot shower you ended up being drenched by a thirteen-year-old girl's torrent of snot and tears.

When did it all change?

When did I stop being the annoying kid sister you never had?

Was it when we first kissed? That bittersweet accidental moment on that day you were supposed to be leaving my life forever? I was fourteen and you were twenty-one. From any angle you look, we were never meant to be.

I was a child and you were already a man. My world was composed of getting good grades in school, making sure my little brother stayed out of trouble, and coping with... being a teen. Your world was science, physics, inventions, and other things that I can barely wrap my head around.

Yet still… in that one accidental, breath taking, magical moment… when you were trying to comfort me from the idea that we'll probably never see each other again, and you held me in your arms, and you kissed me… it only confirmed what I already knew from the very moment I saw you.

Or was it on that day when we saw each other again after six years?

In those six years, as much as I hated to admit it, I faltered a few times. Several times. All right, quite a number of times. Between the pressures of raising Johnny, working part time, being the captain of the girls swim team, and not flunking out of school, it only natural for me to desire the life of a normal teenager one way or another. None of them lasted long. None of them even got serious. None of those boys really measured up to you.

I suppose, in the end… It was only you. Nobody else. Just you.

When Johnny got in high school and was able to take care of himself (more or less), with a fledgling acting and modeling career in tow, an admission to the Theatre Arts department in UCLA, and a great deal of hope in my heart, I set off to Los Angeles in search of a multitude of dreams. It was one of the scariest moments in my life.

It wasn't easy, you know. After Harvard, you stopped writing. And you disappeared from the face of the Earth. I almost lost hope until that one day when I was helping Johnny with prospective colleges for a school project when I stumbled upon information that a certain Dr. Reed Richards was hired as a new fellow in the aerospace engineering department at UCLA. Needless to say, I was motivated to go back to school in an instant!

Do you remember that letter I wrote you? I was so nervous that it wouldn't get to you. So, I was ecstatic when you replied to my letter and said that you remembered me. I was scared of what you would think when you saw me again. I knew I was going to be heart-broken, if you still saw the little girl you left behind.

_"Hello. I'm looking for a certain Reed Richards. Do you happen to know where I could find him?"_

When you looked up, I could tell that you didn't recognize me. But for some strange reason, I didn't feel disappointed. The expression on your face, perhaps, as my image registered in your mind… was something I recognized. It wasn't different from how you looked when you watched the stars fall from the sky that one night, a lifetime ago. How your warm whiskey eyes lit up and widened with silent awe as if you were witnessing the most miraculous event in the universe. Only this time, you were looking at me.

_"Hi."_

Did your heart skip a little like mine? I saw that our years of separation changed you as well. All leftover traces of the boyish features you still had possessed back then had disappeared in the lines of your now chiseled jaw. The thin lanky frame that Aunt Jewel worked hard to 'stick some meat into' had filled out into the lean swimmer's build I used to secretly ogle at boy's swim team back in high school.

The premature strands of gray that used to hide inconspicuously in between your chocolate locks since you were a teen-ager now prominently sat on the sides of your temples, making you look older and more dignified. There were a few more lines etched on your forehead and the corners of your eyes… yes, your eyes. There was something different about them. They were still the same warm whiskey eyes I remembered as a child, but they seemed to possess a fragment more of wisdom. I suppose they were all testaments of the experiences you learned from the passing of time.

The look of awe turned to complete amusement the moment I mischievously raised the back of my hand to show you the piece of red string tied meticulously around my ring finger. And when I heard you laugh in that warm melodious baritone that loved to hear… I instantly knew. I knew that it was worth the gamble.

When did it all change?

When did we realize that what we had was more than mutual attraction? When did we realize that we could no longer live without each other?

Was it after the first time we made love? I remember that day as clearly as if it happened yesterday. It was summer. In all means no different from any hot, humid, sunny, summer day in Central City, California. The government approved the rocket engine project you proposed many months back. Everything was going well. There was even promising news that first experiments on the prototype might go ahead of schedule.

And yet another year passed since Nathaniel Richards, the man who simply disappeared from your life and was presumed dead three years before, didn't fail to disappoint. You never said it out loud back then, but I knew. I knew you always secretly hoped that with each anniversary, your father would miraculously walk through the door.

There you were, quietly and childishly ignoring the fact that your father made arrangements to prevent the premature legal declaration of his death thus indicating that he didn't expect to return soon, if at all. Then again, on hindsight, knowing your father, it seemed more comforting to believe that he had died than to accept the more realistic notion that he merely completed his abandonment of you.

Despite all your good points, you could also be an infuriating, stubborn, pigheaded little…

Fortunately for you, I could be just as stubborn and pigheaded when I wanted to. Especially, when it really counted. Though I hoped, I didn't expect that I would succeed in getting through your walls. Though I wished, I didn't expect that I would succeed in coaxing you to come out of your private little world. Though I dreamed, imagined and fantasized I didn't expect… well… I didn't expect that we would go that far.

But in those moments of vulnerability, kind words meant to lift one's spirits could easily turn into moans of passion as comforting hugs and reassuring kisses awakened more primitive innate needs.

I remember, as I lay beside you, enjoying the warmth of your nearness as we tried to catch our breaths. You sat up, buried your face in your hands, and started to cry. I remember feeling a bit frightened. Until that moment, I've never seen you cry.

Then again, you've always had this aversion to having people see you when you're in pain, or when you're angry. When your emotions start to get overwhelming, you would literally disappear within the invisible walls you built around you. You would shrink back and lock yourself in your that private world inside your head.

It was frustrating sometimes, you know. How you refused to burden others with your grief making it easy for people to misunderstand you. One of your stupid paradoxical traits, I suppose. Sometimes, I can't help feeling frustrated with your hypocrisy. On how you refused to ask help when you need it, but you wouldn't hesitate taking on the weight of the world on your shoulders even when you didn't to.

_"I'm so sorry, Susan… I sorry."_

_"I'm not. I don't regret this. I wanted it to happen."_

_"It doesn't change the fact that it shouldn't have happened. We were both emotionally vulnerable and I took advantage…"_

_"You silly. For someone who's supposed to be a genius, you're not very smart, are you? If you think about it, it's actually the other way around."_

_"Susan…"_

_"Reed, I'm a grown woman now. I'm capable of deciding what is appropriate or not. Unless after all this time, you still see me as that 12-year-old little girl you met years ago."_

_"If I did, this wouldn't be so hard."_

_"Then why? I can see in your eyes that you want me as much as I want you. Do you love me?"_

_"You know that I do."_

_"Then what's the problem? I love you and you love me and you know… things inevitably happen between two people when they love each other. So tell me truthfully, what exactly are you so insecure about?"_

_"… … … Sometimes you scare me."_

_"I scare you?"_

_"You're the only person who can lay me bare like this."_

_"And?"_

_"So far, every person I love… and loved has either died or left me. The idea of loosing you… it's more than just scary. I think… if I ever lost you… It'll kill me."_

Reed… my Reed, my darling, my beloved… Through all the early years we've been together, you were the centre of my world. You were perfect in my eyes. You always knew what to do. I would never hesitate to follow you to the ends of the earth and even walk through hell as long as I knew that you were in front of me to lead the way.

I didn't hesitate to follow you that fateful day. I wanted to be by your side when you pursued your dream to go up in space. I wanted to see what you saw, feel what you feel… The thrill of getting caught… The excitement of embarking into the unknown… The fear when something went wrong…

I didn't blame you for any of it, even though you took all the blame upon yourself. For the accident, for the fact that Ben, Johnny and I would never have normal lives, for not being able to find the answer to reverse our conditions. I never blamed you. I never saw it as a curse. None of it really mattered. As long as you were by my side, that was all that mattered to me.

So on that day, when we pledged to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part… that day was the happiest day of my life.

So tell me, Reed…

When did it all change?

When did my picture perfect image of you start to tarnish? When did the seeds of doubt start to take root?

Was it when I started to realize that even though you were married to me, you would callously, even though unintentionally, cast me aside to answer the call of your mistress? Of course, it was just my luck that the "other woman" you returned to again and again was not a person I could confront and demand to leave us alone (let alone slap around once in a while). Then again, sometimes I often found myself wondering.

Perhaps, in reality, you had always been married to science and the "other woman" was really me.

Was it the realization that no matter I do to prove what I'm capable of, there was always a part of you that would continue to see me as that fragile thirteen-year-old girl you comforted years ago. That there would still be times when you would push me in the sidelines and treat me like a fragile china doll like that time after our son was born or when… when I miscarried our baby girl.

I knew why you did what you did back then. I understood your reasons perfectly. It was one of the awkward ways you show how much you love me, by wanting to protect me and our family. That was why, no matter how hurt or angry or frustrated I was, I endured it.

But Reed, my darling… with all your genius, why couldn't you comprehend the true meaning of that vow we made almost a lifetime ago. When we promised to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part, we became more than just husband and wife, more than parents, bestfriends and lovers… we were supposed to be partners, Reed.

So tell me, my love. Tell me, when did it all change?

When did you stop trusting me? What gave you the idea that hiding secrets within these convoluted secrets was for my own good? Did you think that I wouldn't understand? Did you think that I wouldn't notice? Did you even consider what you had to sacrifice in order to save the greater good? Did you think of what this would do to us?

Did you trust me at all?

I didn't want to think like this, Reed. But was happening all over again, wasn't it? Your amazing ability to see the big picture far ahead of anyone else was causing you to miss out on what was happening from right under your nose. You did this exact same thing when you decided on that drastic solution to save all life on earth from our son's uncontrollable powers. You did this exact same thing with that nefarious plan to invade Latveria in order to put Doom away for good. And now you're doing the exact same thing by joining sides with Tony in this disgraceful government Act.

Why couldn't you see? All these times when you acted on your own in our behalf, without involving me and Ben and Johnny in your decisions… it always ended badly… horribly… tragically.

I didn't know how else I could prod you to open your eyes before was too late. This whole thing was as much about our children, about Johnny, about Ben, about you and me… about 'US'… than it were about the principles of freedom and law. I didn't know how else I could wake you up short of destroying you. I didn't know how else I could save 'us' without hurting you. I'm no longer young and naïve as to think that we were going to survive this unscathed like we had before. I could only hope that when this ends… there would be something left of 'us' to save…

* * *

Susan Richards paused as her husband shifted in his sleep and slung an arm over her, his warm breath whispering against her sensitive neck and effectively pulling her out of her thoughts. She turned to face him and allowed herself to sink in his instinctive embrace despite all the thoughts circling through her mind.

It had been very difficult the past couple of weeks. Most if not all her recent encounters with her husband resolved in yet another fight. Most if not all their nights were spent apart, with Reed locking himself yet again in his lab, and her lying alone in bed restlessly if she wasn't in the hospital looking after Johnny.

Things didn't change much after Johnny was discharged from the hospital either. The rare random nights when Reed joined her in bed had them seeking silent refuge on their opposite sides, facing back to back with a figurative invisible wall between them, and always with one of them departing for their daily routines before the other woke up the next morning without a word to the other.

The recent battle only firmed her resolve. She knew that Reed was fighting this stupid war in his own way. But she also had to fight in her own way, before the damned thing irrevocably tore them apart. Of course, just because she made up her mind, didn't necessarily mean that it made things any easier.

Not when faced by the thought of being separated from her children, or the possibility of facing the love of her life in battle. Not when he was finally holding her after what still felt like an eternity of disconnection, or when the musky scent of their lovemaking still hung heavily in the air and clung to their skin.

Across the bed, her husband's digital clock flashed a number, and Sue knew that the time for such sentiments, no matter how much she wanted them, had run out.

"I love you."

She whispered in his ear and he mumbled an incoherent reply. She then slowly detangled herself from her husband's unresisting limbs and made her way through the room, summoning her clothes and overnight bag. When she fished out the letter she wrote earlier, she felt a twinge of hesitation. She was angry when she wrote it. She still was, but the intensity of her anger diminished in time and now she wondered if the words she wrote still accurately reflected what she truly felt.

Outside in the hallway, she heard her brother's footsteps, reminding her of their task at hand. The cab would be arriving in a few minutes, and she still needed to tend to her children before she goes. Without another thought, she left the letter on her husband's bedside table, before walking out and soundlessly closing her bedroom door behind her… effectively disappearing into the night.

FIN

* * *

Author's squawk: 

I wanted to do a Civil War fic… and this is my response to Sue's letter in Civil War #4.

Man…I had mixed emotions about that letter. I mean its true that a woman has to do what she has to do to stand up for her principles… But the letter is just so twisted! Almost mean! Kinda makes you question if her Malice persona is truly gone, eh?

The sarcastic barbs about making dinner and making love to Reed just before she walked out on him sounded like a plotline from Desperate Housewives. To be quite honest, it seems rather out of character for Sue to actually walk out of her husband and her children… even potentially forever if she got killed in the war.

Well, yeah… this isn't the first time Sue walked out on Reed. There was that time when she temporarily separated from him after the Latveria incident. I mean really! Tricking your family like than and getting Ben killed in the process… She even filed for divorce after the whole incident with Franklin. Geez, if my husband put my kid in a coma to save the world without even letting me know… I would be super pissed too! But bottom line is… those times when Sue left she never left the kids behind. She either took them with her or left them in the care of people she trusts to keep them safe.

Of course, in Millar's defense, the letter could also indicate that its clever manipulation in Sue's part. She still had faith that her husband hasn't completely lost his way, thus she was okay with leaving the kids with him. And since Reed won't listen to her reasoning, she figured actions spoke louder than words… so she put herself in the line of fire to make his see what an $$ he's being about the whole stupid thing. I mean, what would you do if you would be put in the position where you're going to be forced to: a) arrest the love of your life, inevitably going into battle with her, b) send her to prison in the Negative Zone when you succeed in capturing her.

While it didn't get to that point (it might have been really interesting to see what Reed would do if it did came to that point, though… too bad.), I'm sure Reed was conflicted about it. In a way, he was bending the laws quite a bit for not arresting Sue and Johnny on those times that he had the chance. So technically, he was harboring criminals, eh? Ah, Reed and his hypocrisy… what else is new?

It's quite interesting how Reed instinctively avoids problems he can't deal with (also nicely illustrates how much he needs Sue and how Sue is really the one who helps him keeps perspective with his humanity when his OCD traits is trapping him in that little world inside his brain). His inner pathos about it was forcing him to turn off his emotions and effectively turning him into a number-crunching zombie. Then again, he was probably emotionally preparing himself if he was forced to cross that bridge in regards to Sue and Johnny.

While Civil War didn't really live up to its hype, I think it's a pretty good idea to play with. Though I think Millar could have done a better job with the one-sidedness of it. It's almost propaganda-like with the portrayal of how the pro-registration crew was vilified and the anti-registration people were these freedom fighting victimized saints…

Ah… Civil War rants…

As for the pre-Fantastic 4 Sue/Reed stuff, they're all made up. 60's sensibilities aside (from when the series first started), I'm pretty darned sure that Sue and Reed probably were doing it before they were married. Reed's not religious and Sue was known keep a wild party gal double life when she was in high school and on of my co-workers from that generation laughed really really hard when she recounted how her mother thought she was still a virgin when she and her husband finally got married.

And Reed isn't a saint as how his movie version portrayed him either. Even Sue appears to not know the whole story about her husband's wild younger carefree days… how he gallivanted from one adventure to another with Alyssa Moy, where it was hinted that they shared a more intimate relationship than just close friendship (to the point that he even proposed marriage to her!).

Ja!  
Ina-chan


End file.
